Courtenay Norbury

My research focuses on developmental language disorders and the relationship between atypical language development and other aspects of cognitive and social development. There are currently two major strands to my research. One aims to answer the question, ‘why is language outcome so variable in autism spectrum disorder?’ My work has highlighted the importance of identifying different language phenotypes within the autism spectrum and the links between language impairments in autism and those seen in other neurodevelopmental conditions. The second strand of my work focuses on co-morbidity and seeks to answer the question, ‘if language is not developing as expected, what other aspects of development are compromised, and what is the impact on child well-being.’ To answer this question, I am conducting the first UK-based population study of risk for language impairment at school entry. Through the SCALES project, we have screened over 7000 children at the start of their school careers and have assessed 600 of them in detail in Years 1 and 3.